Ars Technicast, Ep. 38: So, an Xbox One and a PS4 walk into a room…

In which Lee says, "The truth of a product is rarely described by its specs."

This year saw an event that only happens every six or seven years: the release of two major gaming consoles at almost the same time. The PS4 has just hit the shelves, and the Xbox One launched yesterday. Gaming Editor Kyle Orland has lost many hours of sleep writing reviews of the hardware and software for both consoles, but he made some time to join Social Editor Cesar Torres and Senior Reviews Editor Lee Hutchinson to talk about the consoles' highs and lows.

To call Kyle's coverage of these two launches "extensive" would be a complete understatement. He's written thousands of words about the consoles' new games, and he's talked to developers about their opinions of both systems. He's also written news, opinion, and historical analysis. If you're wondering which console is right for you, check out our head-to-head match.

As we discuss in the podcast, there are several factors to think about if you’re considering dropping a few hundred dollars on these machines at launch. Game developers are barely getting their hands on a new platform right now, and Kyle talks about the impact of graphics and of games going forward. We talk about what we can expect in terms of true novelty in gameplay and experience. We also discuss what the release of a Steam OS console might mean in the future when it comes to game selection, industrial design, ergonomics, and price.

Please note that we are putting this format of the Ars Technicast on pause for now. The show will return in a new iteration sometime in the future, and you can enjoy the archive of past episodes on iTunes, Stitchr, or on this page. Cesar is moving on from Ars Technica (though he remains in the tech world), so we want to say thanks to all of you for listening during the Technicast’s run.

We want to hear from you. Are you picking up one or both consoles? Or are you strategically waiting out? Tell us what you think about the Xbox One and PS4 systems thus far.

Cesar Torres / Cesar is the Social Editor at Ars Technica. His areas of expertise are in online communities, human-computer interaction, usability, and e-reader technology. Cesar lives in New York City.